Mixing faucet



Jan. l2, 1932. o. KuENzLER 1,840,961

MIXING FAUCET Filed Feb. 1o, 19223v ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 12, '1932PATENT OFFICE omo xUENzLEn, or rnitvmw, maw :maar

MIXING FAUCEI.'

Application led. February 10, 1928. Serial No. 253,276.

' My invention relates to valves or cocks for controlling the flow ofwater and more particularly to Water faucets of the type in which hotand cold water are introduced from their respective supply pipes into acommon outlet channel. The invention finds specific application in aplumbing fixture ordinarily employed to admix water of twodiferentconditions of temperature to yield, in a single outlet pipe,water of a mean degree of temperature. The invention h as for its objectto provide a device for admixing the.

hot and cold water by the shifting of a single operating handle,successively from one poSition, either hot or cold, to the warmposition, i. e., indicating a mixture of het and cold Water, Withoutfirst passing through the position indicating the dilerent conditions oftemperature. The' more particular object 0'1"' the invention is toprovide a mixing faucet of the nature described which enables-one toturn the device into operating position to control the HOW oi' Water ofone condition of temperature, for instance, cold, directly from itsneutral or oli' position Without first passing through the positionwhich will admit oi the iloiv, into the main outlet spout, or water othe other degree of temperature,in the instance, hot Water., a

The above objects Will he more apparent 'from an er:anrninatimiy of thenovel features and combinations vthereof which, together with thedetails 'of construction hereinafter described, comprise my invention, aspecific modification of which is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which Fig. l` is an elevation of my improved valve as seenin its assembled form with a porcelain escutcheon covering its essentialparts; Fig'. 2 is a similar view with the escutcheon removed to revealthe general varrangement 'of the valve structure; Fig. 3 is a section onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2with the cold Water valve in theopen position.

Referring now to the drawings and to the reference characters therein,the same numerals indicating similar parts in the several views, ldesignates an escutcheon, usually constructed of porcelain, envelopingthe outer port-ion of the mixing faucet andhaving thereon the legendsindicating the various positions of the operating handle 2. Theescutcheon is supported against the sink back 3, on brackets 4 extendingfrom the exterior of the main Waterway pipe 5. Lugs 6, 6, on theinteriorlperiphery of the escutcheon serve as a -means of fastening thelatter in its position upon said brackets. When it hecomes 'necessary toremove the escutcheon to gain access to the faucet mechanism covcredthereby, the dial handle 2 may he disconnected Trom the spindle 7 byremoving the holt 8, whereupon a slight rotation of the escutcheon willthen disengag'e it from its supporting brackets 4 and permit voi? itsremoval. rihe spout 9 is cou led to the main pipe 5 of the nfaucet insuc manner that it may he swung to any desired position hy means oi ahousing or sleeve l1 lining the lower portion of the o utlet channel 10.

The iaucet is provided with the customary inlet channels i2 and i3 forintroducing the hot and cold water, respectively, into the main channel10. These inlet passages are 7 controlled hy valves 11i, l5, rovidedwith springs 16, 17, each with Was er i8, Washer cup i9, and screw 20,in the well-herrn inanner.v The valves le, l5 are controlled ny a cammeddisc 2l so constructed that its thiclrness fory aportion of itsperiphery, approximately equal to the distance between vthe centrallines of valves lli, l5, is smaller than that o' the remaining ortion.Trnrthermore, the peri" heral portions of the disc in proximity to thatoit' the decreased thickness are heveiled to present a rising surface 22adapted to enter into engagement with re'- cesses 23, 24- in the sternpieces 25, 26 of the valves i4, l5. The disc 2l is secured hy screw 27to the spindle carrying the dial handle 2 and is located between thevalveA stems eccentrically of their line of centers.

rllhe operation of the mixing faucet hereinahove described is asfollows:

When the dial handle is in the central or neutral position indicated inFigs. 1 and 3, the valves 14 and l5 are both in their closed positionand the discl in the position in vwhich theportion of its periphery ofdebearing against said stems with any degreeefforce. If now, it isdesired to turn on the faucet to allow, for instance, cold water, toiiow from the spout, the handle 2 is turned through an angle toward aposition :some del grecs to the left of the closed or neutral position,i. e., to that indicated by the legend cold on the escutcheon 1. Thedisc 21 being rigidly connected to the dial handle,

. will turn with it through an equivalent angle forcing one of itsbevelled surfaces22 against the inner surface of the recess 24 ormingtheupper portion of the recess 241- and imparting to said stem a movementin a direction to cause it to unseat'its head 30 trom its seat .31against which it is`caused to nearby the spring 17 when the valve 15 isclosed. 4f.)y The valve controlling the ow of water from the cold waterinlet being gradually opened to its fully opened position as the risingsurface 22 forces the stem 26 'further from its seat, a further movementoi the dial handle 2 in the samedirection will cause the same surface 22to come eventually into the recess 23 yand into contact with valve stem25 forcing the latterfrom its seat 31 and causing the valve controllingthe hot Water inlet to be gradually opened, resulting in the fiow,through main'channel 10 of a mixture of'hot and cold water indicated onthe escutcheon 1 by the warm position of the operating handle. It is, ofcourse, obvious that a reversal of the operation, i. e., the turning ofthedial handle in the opposite direc- .tion from its original neutralposition, toward the legend indicating hot would have the eiiect ofallowing a iiow of hot water which could, by a further turning of thehandle inv the same direction, be gradually changed to that of water ofthe median condition of temperat`ure.

From theabove it will be seen that my device makes possible the turningon of water of either condition of temperature, i. e., hot or cold,directly from the neutral or ofi' position withopt thevfaucet mechanismpassing through a position admitting of the vflow of wat-er of theotherV degree of temperature. In

-some'prior constructions of mixing faucets it 1s impossible either todirectly turn from het to tepid without passing through the coldposition or, to turn from cold to tepid without iirst passing throughhot. .It has been therefore necessary, in

'man v prior devices, to provide two operating handles in any givenapparatus designed to admix water of different degrees of temperature toyield, in a single outlet, water. of a mean degree .of temperature.

In the specific modification of my invention shownin the accompanyingdrawings,

instance, encase the outer portions of thel valves 14, 15, metal washers33 and iibre washers 34 serving, with packing 35, their usual purpose ofmaking aV water tight joint. The spindle 7 is surrounded by brassbushing 36, which is, in turn, made fast to handie 2 by a layer ofporcelain cement 37. Y

The extent to which the valves 14, 15 are opened by the turning ofthekdial handle 2 .through a given distance may be regulated by volumeregulators comprising screws 33 extending from the outer end of thevalve stems 25, 26 (Fig. 3) to the recesses 23, and abutting, withinsaid recesses against the surface of the disc 21. The distance whichthis screw protrudes from the valve stern inte this recess and itsresultant abutment against the surface of the disc is a measure of the'movement of the valve stem when the bevelled surface of the disc movesin frictional Contact with the end of the screw. rilhe movement of thisscrew within said stem provides, therefore, a means oi regulating thevolume of water owing through the valve with a given amount of turningoi the dial handle. This volume regulator screw is, in the preerredconstruction of my device, made ci steel to present a frictional'wearingsurface of a more durable character .than the brass of which theremaining portions of the valve may be constructed. 1t is to be notedalso, that in my preferred construction, the screw 38 is introduced intothe corresponding valve stem in a position somewhatl 01E-center thereofso that the end of such screw will, in its entirety engage the surfaceof the disc in rictional engagement. The unequal wearing of theend-portion of the screw, greater wear occurring on the side adjacent tosaid disc,is thus reduced to a minimum. e

A guide 39 serves to maintain the disc 21 in its proper position, therecess 40 in said guide serving the function of a raceway within whichthe disc 21 is confined in its revolution on the shaft 7.

Various changes in the specific form shown and described may be madewithin the sco e of the claims without departing from t e spirit of myinvention.

I claim: v

1. A mixing faucet comprising separate inlet pipes, spring actuatedvalves controlling said pipes, the stems of said valves being recessednear their ends farthest from the inlets which Vthey control, and acontrol disc located eccentrically of a line connecting the plreferablestructures conducive to the t center lines of the valves, a face of saiddisc having an outer portion provided with a low plane surfaceapproximately equal in length to the distance between the central linesof 5 said valve stems and a high plane surface and a pair of camsurfaces connecting the high and the low plane surfaces, said outerportion being adaptedto operatively enga e the recesses in said valvestems to open t e valves 0 upon'rotation of the disc.

2. A mixing faucet com rising separate inlet pipes, sprin actua valvesopening in the direction o low and controlling the iiow through saidipes, discharge conduits l5 communicating wit the valves at their seatsto lead the ow from the inlet vpipes away from the stems of the valvesto a common conduit, and a control disc rotatably mounted eccentricallyof a line connecting the center 20 lines ofthe valves, a face of saiddisc having an outer portion provided-with a low plane surfaceapproximately equal in length to the distance between the center lines osaid valve stems and a high plane surface and a 25 pair of cam surfacesconnecting the high and the low plane surfaces, said outer por tionlosing adapted to o ratively engage said valve stems to open t e valvesupon rotation of the disc. o 36 @TTC KUENZLEB.

